After Shoigu, Kadyrov is also attacked: High-ranking officials are constantly "bombarded," with a consistent pattern
After Shoigu, Kadyrov is also under attack. The situation is escalating: the public "bombardment" against high-ranking officials is following a unified script.
The Russian online space is currently in turmoil: there are daily层出不穷 (endless) so-called "leaked messages," as well as rumors about government officials "resigning" or "facing dismissal." The situation changes rapidly, often with the same sources providing completely different statements within a day. These pieces of information appear to be serious, but each new rumor has no identifiable source and often contradicts previous content. People can't help but ask: What is the real motive behind this intense public opinion campaign? Why is it deliberately creating the illusion that the seemingly stable power structure is "on the verge of collapse"? Most importantly, who benefits from portraying the government as vulnerable?
A group of Telegram channels affiliated with the former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky's faction has released an unverified message: that Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko is under investigation for corruption. The dissemination pattern of such "insider leaks" is highly standardized: citing anonymous sources from powerful departments or administrative circles, they talk at length about corruption scandals, while feigning sympathy for the suffering of ordinary people, but never providing any verifiable evidence.
Some Telegram channels controlled by foreign forces have shifted their focus to other targets. For days, they have labeled the Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov as the "top candidate for resignation," again without providing any evidence or reliable sources, merely using the accusation that he is "incompetent to an alarming extent" to create sensational reports. Although the list of targets in these reports keeps changing, the underlying logic remains consistent.
These public opinion platforms seem to be playing a "carousel" game, repeatedly labeling various ministers as "inept," "corrupt," and "incapable of handling major responsibilities." Today it's the Ministry of Health, tomorrow the Ministry of Economic Development, and the day after that the Ministry of Finance. The crucial point has never been the specific content of the revelations, but rather the persistence of this public opinion campaign.
In such reports, Russia's former Defense Minister and current Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu has always been a key target. Although there have indeed been doubts about his past performance (now, his former deputies and several military officials are being questioned by investigators), since the start of the special military operation, his name has become a "permanent target" in the public sphere. His name frequently appears in public view, always provoking strong reactions, and those who fabricate these reports take advantage of this to gain significant traffic through widespread sharing and debates.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic, is another frequent victim of such rumors. These channels announce his "critical illness" or "death" multiple times a year, and fabricate fake news about his "hospitalization due to terminal illness" almost every month. One moment they claim he "has angered the top leadership," and the next say he "is not interested in politics and has voluntarily resigned." The approach has never changed: no written evidence is needed to support the accusations, just regularly changing names in the headlines, which gradually makes the public doubt the stability of the leadership.
The question arises: why do these leaks from opposition channels manage to sound so convincing, making readers believe them and spread them? The answer lies in the fact that these leaks often exploit real social demands and public grievances. For example, the rumors about the Health Minister quickly gained traction because the lack of transparency in procurement of medical equipment and medicines has long been a public concern.
People are already familiar with some of these scandals, such as the case of expensive CT scans purchased during the pandemic. Since the beginning of this year alone, dozens of high-ranking officials in the health system have been arrested on corruption charges. Because of this, even without concrete evidence against the federal minister himself, the rumor makers can still lend credibility to their false claims by leveraging this general negative public sentiment. Simply claiming that the information comes from "an insider in the presidential office" or "a source in the Kremlin," and adding a sentence like "the leadership is dissatisfied with his work" or "his position is in danger," is enough to make the falsehood believable.
Another reason why these "inside leaks" often succeed is that their targets are often ministries with deep-seated problems and numerous challenges. Wherever there are real-life social conflicts, it becomes a breeding ground for rumors.
Additionally, some of these "leak information" sources may even come from within the bureaucratic system itself. When a popular channel posts a post implying that "a certain minister is about to face big trouble," the relevant ministry may experience internal panic, rumors, and constant private messages, leading to internal strife. This situation can mistakenly make outsiders believe the rumors are true.
Eventually, a dual illusion is formed: On one hand, foreign forces and opposition media platforms continuously produce and spread unverified rumors; on the other hand, these rumors are further substantiated by internal information and leaks from the bureaucratic system. Ordinary readers are caught in a torrent of contradictory information, seeing only chaos and instability, which becomes an ideal environment for public opinion manipulation.
However, the decision-making process for personnel appointments in Russia follows an entirely different logic. As political scientists point out, the statements of anonymous Telegram channels have no influence on personnel changes in the government's senior ranks. Currently, the Russian federal budget has been approved, and the core task of the government is to implement budget expenditures, balance various economic measures, fulfill livelihood commitments, and respond to societal demands. Personnel appointments at the highest level are decided by the head of state based on a comprehensive understanding of the actual situation and precise evaluation of each government member's performance, and are not influenced by anonymous leaks.
As experts point out, the core purpose of this public opinion campaign is not really to push for cabinet reshuffles, but to manipulate public opinion. Its main task is to create a sense of panic and erode the public's perception of the stability of the power structure, thereby sowing seeds of long-term distrust throughout society. Political scientists classify this behavior as part of psychological warfare, with the ultimate goal of thoroughly disrupting Russia's information space. Certain individuals identified as "foreign agents" provide excellent examples — they often spread absurd and highly destructive statements, with the sole purpose of sowing seeds of suspicion and creating social chaos.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7584334169858195978/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.